crow

GrandMother Crow and Past Life Beliefs

Crow Medicine artwork by Sacred Familiar Lately I have been finding crow feathers on every walk in the forest. This is a photo of a GrandMother messenger that I met on Williamstown Beach many moons ago - one of the biggest teachings I've ever received. She said to me 'you are beholden to no-one' and began to show me visions of past lives where I'd taken sacred vows of silence, poverty, chastity and the healer's oath - beautiful & honourable vows in their time but promises that had become binding and heavy to my spirit now. Soon after this meeting with Crow I began to travel around Australia for the next 3 years with the medicine that became known as Swan Blessing - a release from old karmic contracts and sacred vows.

I'm happy to say that after resting this medicine over the last 6 months I will be opening space to hold these medicine sessions again in 2015 in person here in Sherbrooke Forest & by Skype. Blessings on your path friends, you are free.

Shapeshifters by Sylvia Ji

Kristan's Swan Blessing Story of The Outcast

In her past life, Kristan belonged to a tribe that could not accept the powerful medicine that she carried. In her tribe this medicine was seen as taboo for woman to hold. She was asked to obey or to leave. She chose to say NO to the tribe so that she could say YES to her spirit. Many of us have experienced similar stories in past lives and in our present lives. We have felt that to truly be ourselves, we must journey alone. Or we have put up with behaviour that hurts us just to stay a part of the tribe whether that tribe is family, society, peers. In this time of the rise of the Divine Feminine we are being called out of the shadows to embrace all of our natural gifts and to release the fear of being rejected and cast out by those who do not understand or accept us. Saying NO when it is right for us is a practice of honouring ourselves. When we release the belief that there was ever anything ‘wrong’ with us we remember that we are all creatures of the earth – as individual as every animal and plant and an integral part in the wheel of life.

Looking into the waters of the crystal ball of consciousness, I stared and I waited and I imagined I would not see anything. And I saw nothing for what felt like such a long, long time, I was beginning to feel I would not see, that my mind was too strong to allow my soul to show me what I needed and wanted to see

I stayed with prayer, asking and pleading at one moment to see, please let me see  . . .  and then the mists began to clear and I could see a clearing in the mountains, green pine all around, the smell of freshness and soil, and a teepee

And horses, many horses And then I saw HER, myself in another time By the teepee, the wild life of the mountains surrounding HER  Ah, she was alone, living an isolated life, no tribe, a sadness surrounded herI could also sense an understanding, acceptance of her situation as the best possible outcome for her at that time and place We saw each other, she smiledI could see her deer skin clothing, her turquoise choker with red beads HER long, long braids of dark black hair I could feel HER and I felt a relief that we had met, that the veils had parted and that we could meet I began to track why she was alone in the woods, her only communication with the forest life; the birds, woodland creatures, trees, the natural world who heard her and loved her

A new vision appeared I found myself within a tribe of teepees A fire A Father, a Chief at the door of his teepeeAnd a Mother and more children (my siblings) sitting at the door of her teepee I stood by my Father, the Chief as he asked me again if I would do what was expected of me and again, the 12 year old HER (me) said NO I would NOT

I was banished from my tribe

For being who I was For speaking who I was For saying NO to what was not true for me I caught the eye of my mother and she caught mine sadness but understanding i saw there and in my father too, not as cheif, but as my father a sadness and again an understanding And away SHE went, alone, to live a life of isolation, to be herself Again, I find myself back at HER teepee This time we connect, we stand in a pool of water, a water fall, falling behind us The vines from below come up, writhing and cover her, strangle her, snake like she is bound I connect with HER, I cut with my teeth the binding reedy vines I free HER She smiles at me, she becomes as of light and as a shooting star Returns

The wounding: I will be rejected, cast out, banished from my tribe if I am myself, authentic and truth speaking, if I say NO to what does not feel right I release this binding, this wounding as I bite and free the vines of that lifetime

The blessing: authentic, true and free, I express myself fully, I am my actualized self, accepted, loved and cherished by my tribe, now and for eternity

Thank you Kristan Read, for sharing your beauty, strength and truth. Kristan is a Shamanic Midwife, Teacher and crafting creatrix extraordinaire! You can experience Kristan’s inspiring medicine for yourself through her work at www.atmypractice.comand www.thecrafthive.com

 

Read more Swan Blessing stories

the beauty of Marigold plant medicine



Over the last 3 nights I have been working with the beautiful solar radiance of Marigold (Calendula) plant medicine. These particular Marigolds were grown in Egypt and the dolls that birthed to carry this plant wisdom were both so full of love and came with a similar message - to walk beside you as a light in the dark night. As it is believed that the magical Marigold brings prophetic dreams, I made these two dolls particularly to be placed beside your pillow or on your bedside table at night. 

Marigold - Latin Name: Calendula officinalis, Catha officinalis
Also known as: Holigold, Mary Bud, Solis Sponsa, Occulus Christi

Calendulae means 'throughout the months' but the old Saxon name 'ymbglidegold' means 'it turns with the sun'. There is also a long association with the Virgin Mary.

Healing Qualities: reducing inflammation, wound healing, improves blood flow, calming affect on ulcers and cramps, eases menstrual cramps and menopausal symptoms. 

Magical Qualities: prophesy, prophetic dreams, psychic energy, seeing magical beings, love, clairvoyance, legal affairs and renewing personal energy. 

'Golde is bitter in savour
Fayr and yelow is his flouwr
The golde flour is good to sene
It makyth the syth (sight) brythe and clene
Wyscely to lokyn on his flowris
Drawyth out the heed wikked hirores (humors).'
From Macer's Herbal (trans. John Lelamoure, 1373)

Crow Shaman medicine doll

Marigold Flowers and Crow Feathers
Night Prophecy for the Children of the Sun
Dreaming and Vision Receiving Doll

Rosella Faerie medicine doll
Marigold and Hawthorn Flowers
Rosella Feathers & Star worn over her Heart
This doll was made on the Dark Moon and her medicine is simply:
'I will take care of you'
Healing the Heart with Light and Colour

Bird Medicine Dolls

Rainbow Lorikeet Medicine Doll
She carries an Acorn in her belly like a rattle
birthing and living in full colour
In the last week since Equinox I have been working on a new series of medicine dolls carrying beautiful bird medicine. I recently received a gift of precious feathers found by a sister in her travels and it has been a fascinating week journeying with the medicine of each bird. 
I will be holding 2 medicine doll creation circles in the next month: 
Queensland - 12th October at Mt Tamborine - creating a doll to act as a 'bridge' for our ancestral medicine. 
Victoria - 18th October in Sherbrooke Forest - creating the enchanted spirit doll.
You can see full details on our event page.

Owl Medicine Doll
made at midnight on Full Moon
Ancestral Wisdom Keeper

Crow Medicine Doll
the Forest Witch
shapeshifting and moon magic

Rosella Medicine Doll
custom doll for creating flow to move through grief
return of the Rainbow

Guinea Fowl Medicine Doll
Smudging Doll - She who holds sacred space
for protection and feeling safe